The invention relates to a guide roller or guide wheel for band saws, especially for cutting meat and bones. Such rollers or wheels have a circumferential contact surface on which the band saw blade is guided.
The contact surfaces of known guide rollers or wheels are provided with circumferential slots or grooves, in order to improve the guiding of the band saw blade.
Especially in connection with cutting meat and bones a considerable fouling results because fat, bone meal and similar substances deposit on the contact surface of the guide rollers, which disadvantageously affects the power transmission and guidance of the band saw blade because the fat adhering to the contact surface reduces the friction between the contact surface and the band saw blade. Furthermore, the fouling quickly accumulates so heavily on the contact surface that the band saw blade runs off the guide roller or wheel.
The encircling circumferential grooves are supposed to avoid these disadvantages, however, the adhering dirt must be removed by additional strippers, which clean the contact surface as well as the grooves.
This measure is expensive since the roller or wheel strippers are subject to wear and tear and must constantly be checked for their troublr-free operation.